Pet Subjects: Telegraph vet Pete Wedderburn answers your questions

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Dear Pete

I have a long-haired female black cat who regularly washes herself and her self-licking has caused a bald patch on her abdomen. There is no redness or soreness, and there are signs of hair regrowth, but it never progresses because she keeps licking. What can we do?

JH, Wiltshire

Dear JH

Possible causes include parasites or allergies, or it could be a type of obsessive behaviour, linked to stress. Speak to your vet, aiming to get a specific diagnosis by ruling out one cause after another. You can only give effective treatment once the precise cause has been pinpointed.

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Dear Pete

My six-year-old female Cavalier King Charles spaniel has syringomyelia. She was on steroids but they just made her gain weight and didn’t help the problem, so we stopped giving them to her. How else can I help her?

LP, Cardiff

Dear LP

Syringomyelia is a complex, painful condition caused by an inherited malformation of the back of the skull that obstructs the flow of fluid around the brain and spinal cord. Corrective surgery is possible but it is costly, with a success rate of less than 50 per cent. A referral to a neurological specialist is the best way to find the treatment protocol that’s most effective for her.

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RESCUE PET

Bernie

Bernie is a young lurcher who was a frightened stray when he was rescued. Contact National Animal Welfare Trust Hertfordshire on 0208 950 0177 or visit nawt.org.uk.

Send queries to petsubjects@telegraph.co.uk or tweet @PeteTheVet. All sick animals should be taken to a vet.